


Just Being Neighborly

by UnrealTater



Category: Transformers - All Media Types, Transformers: Prime
Genre: Alternate Universe - Human, Blood, Falling In Love, Fluff, KoBb, Light Angst, M/M, Neighbors, Neighbors AU, Racer boyfriends, This is for you Mila
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-26
Updated: 2019-05-26
Packaged: 2020-02-04 12:23:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,317
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18604459
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/UnrealTater/pseuds/UnrealTater
Summary: Bumblebee and Knockout live two very different lives, despite living right next to each other. Nobody was surprised when they became friends. Nobody was surprised when they became more than that, either. One might even say they were made for each other.This is for you, Milagrosen!





	1. The beginning of something Bee-utiful.

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Milagrosen](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=Milagrosen).



> I came up with this idea on a whim, and shared it on tumblr with its inspiration: Milagrosen. So, naturally, I had to write about it. All the ideas I got from that community, they gave amazing ideas! I hope this does well by you, you guys inspired me so much. Schools a pain, but as summer is coming up quick, I'm sure I'll have more time to update! I'm thinking of maybe 3-4 chapters, but we'll see how it goes!

You’d think that with having your own law firm, you’d have seen everything; that after some point, nothing could surprise you. However, that was not the case for the Bot Family when they opened their door one summer evening to a white haired, blue eyed bundle of joy, wrapped up in a yellow and black striped blanket. Dumbfounded, the head of house, Optimus Prime, lifted the child from the porch and took him inside. 

The tiny little boy didn’t look that old, a few months perhaps. What surprised them most about this predicament was not the fact that there was a  _ baby _ on their doorstep, or that said baby had been  _ abandoned,  _ but that the baby wasn’t crying. No, he wasn’t crying, he was blowing raspberries and giggling as they popped, as if it was the most hilarious thing in the world. Perhaps it  _ was;  _ at least to him, anyway.

“He sounds like he’s buzzing,” Ratchet had said. “Like a bumblebee.” They didn’t realize in the moment what an impact that name would have on their lives.

“Ratchet, will you take our guest and make sure he is alright?” Optimus asked, worried that their little bumblebee might have been harmed in the drop-off. Not likely, surely he’d be crying if he was in pain, but it was better safe than sorry.  “And perhaps we go to the hospital, aswell.”

Ratchet had poked and prodded the little bab for what seemed like hours the the watchful eyes of the Bot Family. It was a bit more difficult than a normal patient of his, usually his patient’s aren’t so squirmy and ticklish; they also don’t usually make him smile as much as this one did.

“Bumblebee is alright then?” Smokescreen asked, worried something might have happened.

“Bumblebee?”

“That what we’re calling him, isn’t it?”

“... He’s fine.” Ratchet picked him up, handing him away to Arcee, Bulkhead cooing behind her.

“I think it wise we take him to the hospital anyway,” Optimus insisted. “Something could have happened.” Honestly, the way the others pouted made it seem like they were going to  _ keep _ the child. What a preposterous idea. They couldn’t have a  _ baby,  _ it’s a BABY for Primus’ sake! 

Alas, they all clambered into the car that could  _ somehow _ fit them all. After much bickering as to who was going to hold Bumblebee, which they unanimously decided to call him, and a bit of yelling from Ratchet (“That is NOT how you hold a child!” “Oh, hush it, he’s havin’ fun!”) they somehow made it out of the driveway.

Ratchet had worked at this particular hospital for fifteen years, and it never occurred to him that he’d never visited the ER with his own emergency. It wasn’t as crowded as it usually was when he came down here, the only times he did were when they were desperate for more hands on deck. Taking the still raspberry blowing baby, “He sure likes to do that, doesn’t he,” he walked over to one of the nurses he recognized.

The emergency room was bustling once word got out that one of their very own doctors found a  _ baby _ on his doorstep. Once again, little baby Bumblebee was being poked and proded by cold metal objects, despite Ratchets attempts to assure the nurses that he had done a full check-up already. Bee, however, didn’t seem to mind. He only curled his toes when a cold stethoscope pressed against his bare chest, grabbing up at Ratchet who was watching from the sidelines.

The others were in the waiting room, anticipating Ratchet to come back with news he might've been given. It didn’t take long until he ushered them into the room where the nurses had set them up.

“Is everything okay?” Arcee asked, craning her neck to see behind Ratchet. Smokescreen pounced on her shoulders, boosting himself to try and see where Bee was laying, babbling to himself. Smokescreen wasn’t much younger than she was, but he still towered over her, effectively pushing her forward with his jump. She only glared at him, daring him to try it again.

Ratchet shook his head in answer, his attention disrupted. The door opened and in stepped a rather flowering woman in a black pencil skirt and maroon blouse, a clipboard nestled under her arm. Her blonde hair was in a tight bun on the top of her head, a pen stabbed through it. Social worker. “You’re the Bot Family?”

Optimus and Ratchet both shook her hand, walking into the hallway to talk with the woman. Arcee, Smokescreen and Bulkhead looked at eachother and turned to the plastic tub behind them.

“Think somebody’s lookin’ for him?” Bullhead asked to no one in particular. 

“Hope so,” Smokescreen answered, sticking his finger in the tub for Bee to grab. “Man, he’s got one hell of a grip!” Arcee jabbed him in the side with her elbow. 

“Don’t say that, he can understand you. Dumbass.”

“Hey! Don’t be such a hypocrite!”

Ratchet rolled his eyes from outside the room, the muffled fighting of the kids wafting through the closed door. They were quite the handful around the house, it was a miracle they hadn’t broken anything yet.

“I’ve looked at the police records of this hospital and of the ones in the surrounding area, and there have been no reports of a Code Pink or of missing infants. At least, not matching his description.” The woman, who had introduced herself as Residue, spoke sweetly. She sounded like she genuinely cared. “The only thing we can do is to set him up in the foster care system and wait and see if the parents return for him. If no one comes to claim him, he’ll be open for adoption.”

“And how long will the wait be for any word of them? Before he moves on to the adoption system?” Optimus asked her. 

“Considering the child is so young, it would only be a few months. There’s a high demand for babies in the foster care and adoption systems.” Ratchet and Optimus looked to each other. They didn’t need to talk, they already knew what the other was thinking.  _ Could  they take care of him? Become his foster parents? _ They were already dedicated to this child, there’s no reason to quit on him now.

“Could-”

“You become the foster parents?” Optimus looked to Ratchet again and nodded. Residue smiled. “You can, actually.”

There really wasn’t any question: Bumblebee was going to be theirs, and nobody could say otherwise. Social workers from the foster care system had arrived at their home many times, interviewing each and every one of them intensely. They scavenged the house like animals, picking up every little detail. They said it was important that Bee was in a safe environment. They passed with flying colors.

That weekend they renovated one of the many empty rooms. Arcee and Smokescreen painting the walls a bright yellow with black stripes running through the middle. Mountains of toys littered the hallways, taking over the house completely, Optimus couldn’t help but spoiling their new addition. Bulkhead and Wheeljack had made a wooden bed frame in the shape of a Camaro; wheels, windows and all, the mattress nestled nicely in the middle. Ratchet watched from the sidelines, giving critique on their handiwork every so often. 

When Bee joined their family, nothing surprised the Bots anymore. No, they weren’t surprised when a drenched and soapy little blue eyed boy had climbed out of the tub and ran butt naked throughout their Victorian mansion, testing out his dreadfully fast little legs for the first time. They weren’t surprised when none of them were able to catch him, laughing all the way. Ratchet had been the one to finally end the chase, wrapping him up in a soft towel before plopping him down in the velvet chair in front of the fireplace. Nobody was surprised when their home was filled with a bit more laughter as the years zoomed by.

They never had any word from potential parents, never a call from the hospital. It hadn’t been long until the adoption papers had gone through, and Bumblebee was officially a Bot. Wheeljack and Ultra Magnus had come to town to celebrate: a huge barbeque, practically trashing their yard. Neighbors had come to congratulate them as well. Pretty soon, the entire block had come bearing gifts and kind words. Everyone, except the neighbors next door.

 

~~~~~

 

Nobody had an explanation for the redheaded child. Nobody knew why Megatron came home with a child at all. Starscream had pressed the head of house for his reasoning, but he never got it, Megatron much too tired from his most recent court case. Starscream had complained, whining that he was much too old to watch over a child, (“You’re only thirty-five, Starscream, now is not the time for a midlife crisis,”) hell, they all were.

Soundwave had been put in charge, along with occasionally Starscream when Megatron ordered it, to watch over Knockout. Soundwave didn’t complain. It was only when he and Megatron were alone when he asked where the child had come from. Megatron admitted, though reluctantly, that he was in fact  _ fostering _ the child. This had taken Soundwave aback; not that he’d actually show it. Megatron, “Warlord of the Lawyering World,” wasn’t exactly the fathering type. Everybody knew that.

After a bit more pushing, Soundwave had learned the full story. Megatron had apparently gotten the child from a “good-for-nothing, rotten woman,” who’s husband had left her. But over time, the more Megatron repeated the story, this is when it changed. He never repeated the same reason for  _ why _ her husband left. Was it because was a deadbeat? Maybe he had won the lottery and skipped out of town, or decided he didn’t want to be a father and walked out. Perhaps they were never actually married, and Knockout will illegitimate. Or maybe, his father didn’t actually know he was  _ alive. _

Whatever the case was, Knockout now belonged to the Con Family. He grew up mostly keeping to himself; he was fed, bathed, cared for, but nothing much more than that. That was alright with him, he just pushed down the occasional loneliness that crept up on him in the depths of the night. The Decepticon Family wasn’t the comforting type. They hardly even considered themselves a “family.”

The first time Optimus had seen Knockout, he was just as surprised as the rest of them; it wasn’t long after he himself had  _ adopted _ Bumblebee, after all. It had been quite a few years at that point, but Knockout was still just slightly older than the blue eyed boy. 

“What’s  _ your _ reason, Megatron?” He had asked. “For the child?”

“Starscream wouldn’t stop nagging about not having any friends.”

 

~~~~~

 

Soundwave had this… thing. Knockout wasn’t really sure  _ what _ it was, only that it was creepy; even for a dusty, dark Victorian Mansion that sat right next to a brightly colored one. It would stare at him, and he could have  _ sworn _ it nipped at his ears as he walked through the hallways. He could never prove it, of course, every time he whirl around it was high up in the rafters, its beading eyes watching his every move. 

He couldn’t go complain about it to Soundwave, he wouldn’t tolerate anything against his precious… friend? They called the creature “Laserbeak,” which Knockout was sure Starscream had made up. Who names an African Grey Parrot something dumb like  _ that? _ (Soundwave, obviously. Probably got the name from some book he read. Nerd.)

Knockout was looking out of one of the many newly re-installed  _ untinted _ windows, because dammit Starscream, just because  _ we’re _ edgy doesn’t mean the house has to be, too. 

A yellow bike was wheeling up and down the street, back and forth as fast as it could. It’s rider had a smile bigger than Knockout had ever seen anyone smile before. The boy was interesting.

He had noticed the shiny yellow bike before. He had watched it’s rider learn to ride it for the first time. He remembered that day fondly, it was one of the days he had  _ truly _ laughed. 

The white haired boy had gotten the gist of riding a bicycle pretty quickly, and was zooming up and down the sidewalk not long after. However, in the midst of all his excitement, he had failed to learn how to stop. Knockout had doubled over crying as he watched the boy ride headfirst, top speed, into the Cons recycling bin. He didn’t see the woman in blue with tears streaming down her face with a med kit in her hand, or the man in blue and yellow who had fallen into the bushes he had laughed so hard, or the green man who was curled up in the fetal position on the curb, shaking. He didn’t see the two heads of house of the Bot Family rushing to make sure the boy was alright, both of which failed to hold back their own laughter. 

Starscream had lived up to his name that day, which only fueled Knockouts amusement. The Bot Family had made up for it by cleaning up the mess, but Knockout didn’t care, the pleasure he got from seeing Starscream so riled up was payment enough. Laserbeak had watched the entire thing as well, cackling and bobbing his head up and down as he strutted across the windowsill. Knockout didn’t know where the bird had learned how to laugh such a wicked laugh.

 

~~~~~

 

Optimus Prime, a respectable man and head of house, had grown fond of their little Bumblebee. He was watching the boy play in the backyard when a door slammed open from the next house over. A mansion much like his own, filled with people much like his family, run by a man who was once, and still is, much like himself. 

Sighing to himself, he reached down next to his chair and gripped the toy gun firmly in his hands. Looking down the barrel of the neon orange plastic weapon, Optimus squeezed the trigger and watched the foam dart fly, striking his neighbor in the back of the neck. He chuckled to himself as the man flung himself around, stomping over to their shared fence.

“Prime!”

“Ah, Megatron! It’s been a while!” Optimus stood from the chair and walked over to the fence. “Three years, I believe?”

“Three beautifully peaceful years, of which I wasn’t constantly being hit with-”

“They don’t have Nerf guns in New York?”

“No,  _ Prime _ , they just don’t shoot their neighbors with them!” The Decepticon head of house growled out. Optimus just laughed as he watched his former college friend stomp back inside his dark and dreary mansion, glaring at the tinted windows.

“Always a pleasure, Megatron!” Starscream had been screeching earlier, obviously upset that Megatron had returned so soon; and if both of their moods said anything, Megatron wasn’t too happy about the houses… renovations. The windows had been modified not long after Megatron had left to defend a client across country. He had taken a little time off not long after that. It seems as if he had just returned, which amused Optimus greatly. He had missed their little chats.

“Optimus! Would you  _ please _ remind Bulkhead why he isn’t allowed in my lab!” Ratchet yelled from one of the many open windows.  _ What did Bulkhead break this time, I wonder? _

“Never a dull day…” Optimus smiled to himself before turning to the young boy; his  _ son. _ “Are you alright out here on your own, Bumblebee?”

“Mhm!” He hadn’t even looked up from the black and yellow remote control Camaro, which buzzed around in circles. Optimus had gone inside without another word. He didn’t notice the door to the neighbors house open again, or the shuffling of the leaves.

Bumblebee hadn’t been alone outside for long before a  _ pine cone _ of all things fell from the sky! 

“Psst…  _ hey!”  _ Bumblebee looked to the new arrival in his backyard, picking it up in his hands and turning it over to inspect it closer.

“Are you talking to me, Mr. Pine cone?” The pine cone chuckled.

“No, dummy,  _ me!  _ Over here!” Looking up, he noticed something peculiar. A bright, cherry brown eye was staring right at him through a crack in the fence. Standing up, Bee walked over the fence and peered through.

“Hello, I’m Bumblebee!”

“What are you doing over there?” Strange, didn’t they know what people do in their own backyards? He was  _ playing,  _ obviously.

“Racing my remote control car. Would you like to play with me?” The owner of the eye on the other side of the fence nodded. Bee picked up his car and tossed it over the wooden fence, the stranger on the other side catching it. He turned it around in his hands, studying its paint job and rims.

“It would look better if it were red,” the boy said through the fence. Bee  _ tried _ not to be offended, he didn’t want to hurt his new friends feelings. But his car was perfectly fine the way it was.  _ Yellow. _

“I guess… What’s your name?”

“I’m Knockout.”


	2. Doctor in Training

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! Sorry for the long wait, I had finals and had to crawl my grades back to passing! Anyway, the school year is over and summer is finally here! So here's the next chapter, hope you like it!
> 
> !!!!Also! There's a lot of mention of blood so... be warned!!!!

Bumblebee wasn’t surprised when a red paper airplane flew through his open window. It had been years since they first met through their shared fence, and now just getting into their mid-teens, Knockout had sent over countless airplanes. This one was no different; unfolding the paper revealed those curly letters, written in silver ink: “Look behind you, Abeille!” He smiled at the name, the one that Knockout had given him years ago, not longer after they met.

“I’m learning French now,” the redhead had said when Bee first found out, still only children. 

“It fits you.” Bee still felt a little jealous that Knockout was learning a new language and he wasn’t (he’d have to ask Optimus if he could learn one too!), but he knew the reason his heart had began to beat a bit faster and his face got a bit hotter wasn’t jealousy. All the same, he still was clueless as to what the new feelings meant; it happened every time he saw those beautiful brown eyes outside his window. He couldn’t help but smile when he saw Knockout. 

Looking out the window, he saw those cherry brown eyes, the ones he’s seen countless times before. The ones that made his heart stop and race at the same time. The ones that took his breath away; but what did it  _ MEAN _ ?

“Hey, baby blues,” Knockout called, hopping out his window and landing on the shingled roof that hung below, just a few feet away from the one that hung outside Bee’s. The roofs outside their window shared their memories, held their secrets and watched them laugh and cry and yell to the stars. It served as their bond, a bridge between their two vastly different and yet all together similar lives. They had spent countless hours on those roofs, just  _ existing; together. _

The thump is his chest pulled Bee to the open window. He swung his legs out, opening his mouth to say something before- he was pretty sure that the snapping that rung through the air like a bell wasn’t a good sound. He was also sure the throbbing in his head and the sudden pain and strangely welcoming darkness weren’t good either. The presence of familiarity left suddenly, as suddenly as the shout that retched at his consciousness. The sound of pounding footsteps rung along with the throbbing in behind his eyes. Knockout must have left ( _please don’t leave!)_ and then it was there again, that sweet familiarity, along with more shouting.

“Abeille! Bee look at me, I need you to open your eyes,” Knockout shook him, urging for his response. He felt Knockout check for his pulse and listening to his breathing, his warm fingers oddly comforting in the cold that had engulfed him. “Bee, wake up!” He opened his eyes, the harsh red of Knockouts hair almost blinding him; he loved that hair. “There you are. Are you okay? How’s your head?”

“I‘m alright,” Bee tried to sit up and prop himself on his elbows, Knockout pushed him back down. His body ached, pain rippling through his bones that somehow didn’t seem to fully register. His head swayed and a wave of nausea hit him hard. What was happening again?

“Don’t move, Abeille,” Knockout said intently. He sounded anxious but… determined? An odd mixture of emotions but ones that seemed to fit him somehow. “Does it hurt?” Knockout pulled up his pant leg and grimaced.

“What? I mean  _ yeah,  _ it hurts like a b-” He hissed again as knockout touched his swollen ankle. “Stop!”

“Bee, I can’t just  _ stop,  _ your foot is the size of a grapefruit! Can you move it?” Grinding his teeth together, he moved his foot slightly. Knockout popped open the medkit that sat beside him. When did it get there? Oh, Knockout must have- “Bee, I need you to look at me, keep your eyes open!” How could he? He was just so  _ tired!  _ Surely just closing his eyes would be alright? “Don’t you  _ dare  _ close your eyes, Bee,” another course of pain shot up his leg. He just wanted to sleep!

The redhead rummaged through the small box again, cursing under his breath at the small bandages clutched in his hands. “There’s not enough!” Wait, bandages?

“Knockout, why-”

“Hush, Bee.” He looked down at his foot, curious as to what was happening down there that had Knockout acting so strangely. “ _ Don’t.  _ Don’t look.” Knockout gripped his chin and shoved his head back down. Knockout took a deep, long breath in, dispelling any lingering anxiety in those deep, chocolate filled eyes that had no  _ right _ to be so  _ GORGEOUS _ ! And, oh God, that sinnfully red hair fell in front of them and-  “Alright, Bee. I’m going to need you to help me with this.” Knockout tossed a hand full of sopping wet bandages the color of his hair to the side.  _ Hold on. What? “ _ Try not to faint again, okay?”

“What?” His voice was hoarse, scratchy. Something wasn’t right.  “What happened?”

“You’re kidding,” Knockout scoffed _ ,  _ wiping his hands on his pants and grimacing as it seemed to have done nothing.

“What is that?”

“Nothing, Abeille, just a little blood,” Knockout said sweetly.

“ _ Blood?!” _

_ “ _ Yes, that’s what I said,” Knockout closed his eyes and took another deep breath, rubbing his face, streaks of leftover blood coating his cheeks. “Alright, Bee, I need to get you in your house.” Knockout crouched behind Bee’s head, pulling his arms under the other’s shoulders, giving Bee a perfect view of his lower half.

Blood pooled down the shingled roof, the source being his heavily bandaged shin. Below still, his ankle was twisted at such an odd angle he wasn’t quite sure it was  _ his, _ only amplified by the fact that he couldn’t quite feel either injury. Well, he could  _ now. _

“Holy shit,” Bee spoke in barely a whisper.

“I need to get you inside, Abeille. On the count of three, use your other leg to pull yourself up, I’ll lift you from behind. Then you need to hold onto me and the windowsill, can you do that?” Bee nodded. “Whatever you do, try not to put any weight on your bad foot, okay? One, Two-” Both boys grunted as they heaved Bee up into his uninjured leg, the other curled up defensively. His head whirled as Knockout gripped his wrists and dragged them to the edge of the window. “Hold on tight, okay?” Hold tight he did. 

“What now?” Bee asked, unsure of what to do, panic finally beginning to creep in on him. God  _ DAMN  _ it hurt!

“Is Ratchet home?”

“What?”

“Ratchet, he’s a Doctor isn’t he?” Bee thought for a moment.

“He should be home, yeah. His lab is just down the hall, two doors down on the right. Go get him! He can help!”

“I’m not leaving you alone, Abeille,” Knockout looked around before pulling himself up through the window and into Bumblebee’s room.

“RATCHET! OPTIMUS, HELP!” Bee’s head barely came over the windowsill, but Knockout still somehow seemed to pull a good portion of the other boy through, Bee doing his best to help despite the waves of pain now flooding his veins with every movement. “RATCHET!”

Thumping could be heard from down the hall before the door was flung open. Optimus and the Doctor both rushed into the room, worry etched into both of their faces. He was sure that by the end of this they both will have had many years taken off their lifespan. He’d make sure to cool it with the trouble he tended to get into, give them a bit of a break. Well, he’d  _ try,  _ anyway.

“Help! Help him!” Knockout grunted out, desperately trying to pull Bee the rest of the way through the window. “I can’t get him in!” Bumblebee was just too heavy! He couldn’t do it! The doctor-in-training looked down at his friend, his eyes dropping as consciousness threatened to take him once again. Knockout pulled harder but any friction that was had was lost from the blood that still coated his hands. He was slipping; Bee was  _ falling!  _

And just like that, Bee was scooped up and layed down on the floor, the rest of the boys family crowding around him, the one called Arcee being sent out to bring back Ratchets medical kit; one that Knockout  _ prayed _ was better than his own.

Knockout kind of just… stood there, unknowing of what to do now. Ratchet had taken over, unwrapped the blood soaked bandages that had stopped the bleeding from the scrape that ran down Bee’s shin. A new bandage was being placed and someone had already given him enough painkillers to fill a pill bottle. Knockout watched as Arcee petted Bee’s head that had been placed in her lap. He watched as Smokescreen and Bulkhead handed Ratchet whatever he needed, holding his hand when the blue eyed boy drifted in and out of sleep, desperately trying to keep him awake. Knockout felt he was in some sort of… Limbo? 

He was strangely confused. Why did his family care so much? Why had they come running so quickly; why had they  _ all  _ come? Megatron would never had come running when he called for help, let alone Starscream or Soundwave; and  _ definitely _ not all of them. Right. This was Bee’s family. Something Knockout couldn’t call his own.

“Can you tell me what happened?” He looked up, startled as to why those words weren’t tied to something vicious.

“I’m sorry?”

“What happened?” It was Optimus Prime. It confused him even  _ more _ why the man wasn’t yelling. From his viewpoint, Knockout could very well be responsible! Bee’s blood was on  _ his _ hands, dripping down  _ his  _ fingers! But no, Optimus was calm, asking him what happened instead of jumping to conclusions and punishing who he deemed responsible.

“I-” He didn’t really want anyone to know about their secret meetings during the night, those were  _ theirs!  _ And if Optimus finds out, surely he’d tell Megatron and then he’d  _ really _ be in for it. Megatron didn’t exactly  _ like _ the Bot Family, and judging by how much Starscream got “reprimanded” for so little, who knew what would happen if it came out that the youngest of both families were meeting. Alone. At  _ night. _

“You’re not in trouble,” The man assured him, seeming aware of Knockout being somewhat uncomfortable with the situation. 

“You can’t tell Megatron.” Optimus didn’t seem surprised by this arrangement, and agreed. “He fell. We were-” Knockout sighed. “We go out on the roof and talk. It’s the only way we can without… He tried jumping out but he must have rolled his ankle and skinned his shin. I ran inside to grab my med kit to try and help but by the time I got back there was blood everywhere and he was coming to. I think he hit his head, he probably has a concussion” Knockout spoke the last part loud enough for Ratchet to hear.  _ Oh God, is he asleep? Please don’t let him fall asleep! _

Knockout looked beyond the Prime to his best friend laying bloodied on his own floor. He wished he’d open his beautifully blue eyes, reassuring him completely with a single one of his smiles. All he wanted was to sit on their roofs and talk the night away. He wanted to run his fingers through Bee’s darkening hair and get lost in his eyes and- No, Bee probably wouldn’t like that. They were just friends! 

“Thank you.” Optimus’s voice seemed to shake him from his trance.

“What?”

“For helping Bumblebee. Thank you.” Knockout shuffled, unsure of how to react. Being  _ thanked _ for something wasn’t exactly something he was used to, especially for something that he was expected to do. Megatron was lucky he enjoyed playing the household “doctor.” 

Knockout cleared his throat, “Is he going to be okay?”

“He’ll be fine,” Ratchet spoke up. “He lost a bit of blood, obviously; you were right, he does have a concussion. Nothing serious.” The Doctor looked up at him, his face softer than Knockout had ever seen. “You did good.” Well now he was just uncomfortable.

“Knockout!” All heads turned to the window. “Knockout, where are you?” Dammit.  _ Starscream. _

“Coming!” Knockout shouted out the window. “I should be going,” For once in his life he was  _ thankful _ that Starscream needed him for something. Probably chipped a nail again.

“I can walk you to your-”

“ _ No _ . No, that’s okay, I’ll just climb back through my window. I don’t know how I’d explain why I came through the front door if I never left through it.” Already jumping through Bumblebee’s window, much slower than the other boy had before, Knockout ignored the drying blood still coating the shingled roof. He quickly packed up what was left of the strewn about medical kit, hopped the gap in their roofs and climbed over the windowsill. He took one last look at Bee’s body, only barely visible through the windows.  _ He’ll be okay. _

“Knockout-!”

“I’M COMING!” Knockout slammed his window shut and forced the curtains closed. Pulling his door open he was met with Starscream, cradling his wrist. “ _ What. _ ”

“Finally! I need you to- Is that blood?” Starscream gasped.  _ Right.  _ He hadn’t had the chance to wash them off. This was going to be hard to explain. Well, if he  _ had  _ to, that is.

“Don’t ask, and I won’t ask how you managed to hurt your wrist for a second time in three months.” Knockout glared at the man, gripping Starscream’s wrist and moving his fingers. It was swollen and a bit bruised, probably just a sprain. “Can you move your fingers on your own?” Starscream nodded. “Roll your wrist for me. Did you fall?” Starscream looked away, nervously shifting his gaze up and down the hall. 

“It doesn’t matter.” Right. Not a sprain then. Knockout sighed and opened up the medkit for the second time that day. He pulled out an instant ice pack and an ACE bandage, holding them out.  
“I trust you’ve figured out how these work?” The amount of times Starscream’s had to use them it’d be a surprise if he didn’t. Courtesy of Megatron, of course. Starscream snatched the items and stomped back down the hall without so much as a ‘thank you.’ Not a surprise. 

Neither of them talked about what they’d seen the next morning. Megatron never found out about Knockout and Bee’s meetings or that his hands were covered in blood, or  _ why _ . Nobody found out about Starscream’s recurring injuries; at least, nobody talked about them. And nobody questioned why said injuries seemed to heal much quicker than expected seeing as they were never treated by a professional. Everybody ignored Starscream’s visits to Knockouts room, clean bandages wrapped around his injuries when he left. You scratch my back, I scratch yours.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hoped you liked it! As you can tell, I'm here for the angst. I'm still not quite sure how many chapters I'm going for as I don't really have a set plot for this story, lol. I'll have more time to write now that school's out :)  
> Not quite sure how I felt about the writing in this one, I might want to change it up a bit later, who knows. Anyway, please comment and tell me what you thought of it, critique is always welcome!

**Author's Note:**

> Please, feel free to comment and give me any ideas or critique you might have! It honestly means the world to me! I don't have anyone in my life who's into transformers like I am, so I want to thank this community, you guys are the best!


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